Circuit-breaker for electrically-heated devices.



W. G. NAGEL. CIRCUIT BREAKER FOR ELEOTRICALLY HEATED DEVICES.

. APPLICATION FILED F3111, 1909. 948,704. Patented Feb. 8, 1910.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

MGM/7a 565.

W. G, NAGELE CIRCUIT BREAKER FOR ELEGTRIGALLY HEATED DEVICES. APPLICATION FILED PEB.11, 1909.

948,704. Patented; Feb. 8, 1910.

2 SHEETS-81313131 2.

L J a {L 0 I 1 G g I y i J m l /7 j a Z Li FB fimesse s. //7&Z?f0ff 7WM M Y M WILLIAM G. NAGEL, OF TOLEDO, OHIO.

CIRCUIT-BREAKER ron nLEoTRionLLY-nEATEn DEVICES,

I Specification of Letters Intent.

Patented Feb. 8, 1910.

Application flledlebruary 11,1909. Serial No 477,346.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM G. NAGEL, a citizen of the United States, and-a resident of Toledo, in the county of Lucas and State-of Ohio, have invented a certain new and useful Circuit-Breaker for Electrically-Heated Devices; and I do hereby declare the follow-- ing to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled. inthe-art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the figures and letters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this-specification,

My invention relates to electrically heated devices, and particularly to means for use in connection with sad-irons or the like for preventing them from becoming heated to such a degree as to render them liable to scorch or burn articleswith which they come in contact.

In the use of electrically heated devices-of this class it is found that a high.degree of care is necessary to prevent them from becoming heated to such a degree as will cause them to burn or scorch articles with which they have contact, and also that if left standing without turning off the electric current, which frequently-occurs, they soon become so highly heated as to burn through and set fire to any inflammable article on which they may be standing, or in contact with, thus rendering their use extremely dangerous. For these reasons considerable objections have been raised to the use of such devices, especially by underwriters, who have strongly condemned the use of the same as dangerous.

The object of my invention is to overcome the objections raised by underwriters .and other persons to the use of electrically heated devices of this class and the dam ers incidcnt to such use by the provision 0 simple and efficient means for automatically breaking the electric circuit when the iron or other device becomes heated to a predetermined degree, thus rendering the use of such devices perfectly safe, and consequently enhancingthe commercial value thereof.

The invention is fully described in the fol.- lowing specification, and while in its broader aspect it may bev embodied in different forms, in the present instance I have shown and described two forms, which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which,---

Figure 1' is a-planof an iron embodyingone form of my invention, with a portion of the top thereof broken away. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same with the iron in artial' section on the line at w in Fig. 1.

ig. 3 is an enlargedside view of the fuse shown in Figs. 1 and 2, with its end portions.

in section. Fig. 4 is a. plan of an iron provided .with a modified form of my invention, and with a. portion of the top casing thereof broken away. Fig. 5 is a side view thereof in section on the-line y y in Fig. 4,

and Fig.6 is an enlarged central longitudinal section of the form of fuse shown in Fi 4 and 5.

eferrin to Figs. 1 and 2, in which the referred orm of my invention is shown, 1

esignates an iron, which may be of anysuitable construction, and is hollow or provided with an interior chamber 2 for receiving any suitable form of heat translating device, as is;co nventionally indicated by the resistance coil 3.

Located'wfithin the chamber 2, preferably at the rear end thereof, is a fuse tube or shell 4, which is removably held in upright position therein by being gripped at its upper end between contact fingers or members 5, 6, one or both of which may be of spring material or yieldable to adapt them to cooperate to yieldingly grip the tube. Thefinger 5 is shown as being attached to the rear wallof the chamber 2 and has an end angled, as

at 5 Fig. 1, and connected to a terminal 7,

which insulatingly pro'ects through saidrear wall into a plug-soc et 8. The finger 6 is shown as pedestal 9 .wit inthe chamber 2, to which pedestal it is insulatingly secured, and as rojecting upwardly from a.

connecting to one end of the resistance coil 3.

The other end of the resistance'coil connects to a conductor member 10, which in turn at- While the fuse-shell 4 may be of any suit-- able construction, a simple form of the same is shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3, and cons sts of four like parts 11 secured together in the form of an oblon shell and spaced from each other by insu ation stri s. or gaskets-12 =and 13, which divide the she I both longituclosed dinally and transversely into two correspondin parts. Disposed within an end of this shel is a-fusible alloy or substance 14:, which adheres to the interior of the shell at such end and forms an electrical conductor "between the two parts 11, 11, which are by gravity to the lower end of the'shell, thus,

breaking the electrical connection between the parts 11, 11 of the-upper half and electrically connecting the parts 11, 11 of the lower half of the shell to adapt the shell for use again when inverted to place the alloyconnected parts 11 in contact with the fingers 5, 6. I To facilitate a removal or insertion of the shell 4 relative to the chamber.

2, the chamber top is provided with an opening above the shell, which opening is y a screw-cap 15.

In the operation f this form of my invention it is apparent that when a plug, the electric terminals .of which have connection with a source of electrical supply, is inserted into the socket 8 in proper contact with'the terminals 7, 7 and a fuse tube or shell 4' is in proper contact with the contact fingers 5, 6 with the allo at its upper end, a circuit will flow throug the terminal 7 finger 5,

- upper parts 11, 11 and connecting alloy 14 the shell, finger 6, resistance 3, member 10 and terminal 7 or vice versa, according to the direction of flow of the current.

Should the iron become heated to a predetermined degree at which the alloy is adapted to'fuse, the heat communicated to the shell therefrom will effect such fusing and a con- .sequent breaking of the heating circuit due to the alloy dropping to the lower end of the shell. To again close the circuit it is only necessary to invert the fuse-shell, thus placing the parts 11, 11, which areelectrically connected bythe alloy, in contact with the fin ers 5, 6.

In igs; 4, 5 and 6, in which a slightl modified form of my invention is shown, desi ates the iron; B the chamber therein in w ich the heat translating device or coil G is located; D a socket-or opening in the top of the iron, conti ous to which are dis posed the terminals ,E' F a conductor connecting one terminal with'an end or the coil C; G a conductor connecting at one end to the other end of said coil and having its other end connected to the forked spring contact fingers H, H between which the fusetube or shell is gripped, and I the fuse-tube or shell. This shell is inserted into the cham- -ber B through an opening a in the rear end of the iron and is shown as resting on a slightly elevated portion b on the bottom of the chamber, which portion has a surface groove 0 extending inwardly from the open- %he fuse tube or shell I is shown as comprising a tubular insulation member d, the ends of which are inserted into conductor sockets or caps e, e, which sockets in turn have their outer end portions inclosed by sockets or caps f, f, of insulating material. The inner end portions of the sockets e, e, are insulatingly spaced from each other but project beyond the inner ends of the sockets f, f, a sutficient distance to afford contact surfaces at either end of the tube for the 'contact fingers H, H. Conductor buttons 57,

which are headed at each end, pass through central apertures 1n the insulation sockets j .and larger apertures h in the ends of the sockets e, whereby the walls of said latter apertures are spaced therefrom, as shown. Electrical connection is afforded between the socket e and button 9 at one end of the tube by a fusible alloy i at such end, which, when fused drops to the oppositeend'of the tube and connects the socket e and button 9 at such end.

When the fuse-tube is positioned within the chamber B the button at the upper end thereof has contact with a finger J, which projects from an insulation block j, secured to the under side of the chamber top, and connects through aconductor K with the terminal E. It is thus seen that when the fuse tube is gripped by the fingers H, H

with the alloy end up, a circuit will be closed between the two terminals E E through the conductor F, coil C, conductor G, contact fingers H, H, upper socket e, alloy i and upper button 9 o the fuse tube, and conductor'K. To rovide a visual means of determining if the circuit between the terminals E, E is closed, I makethe shanks of the buttons 9 of suflicient length to permit the buttons 9 to have limited longitudinal movements in the ends of the tubes. As gravity will cause the lower free button to project 1 from the tube end it will be soldered in this position when the alloy at the upper end of the tube fuses and drops upon the same. As the upper button becomes free by the dropping of the alloy therefrom 1t will be apparent that it can be readily perceived which button is electricall connected to the socket e at the end therewith, or if the alloy .at the upper end of the tube has fused.

When the shell is inserted into the opening of the iron the projected end of the lower button is intended to work in the groove 0- in the raised portion b on which the fuse tube rests. v

L designates a handle which is attached to as such limitations are specified in the claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claimas new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In an apparatus of the class described,

a heat cartridge having a body of softenable position.

or fusible material normally held in suspense therein, and means movably carried by the cartridge and held fixed relative thereto by Such material when in'normal 2. In an ap aratus of the class described, a reversible i ilse shell a fusible substance normally-held in suspense therein but released by excessive heat conditions, means at the lower end of the shell whereby the normal condition of the shell may be restored upon being reversed after a descent of said substance, and indicator means movably carried at each end of the shell and fixed against movement relative thereto by said substance when at the endtherewith.

3.. The combination with an electric cirouit,.of a protective device included therein and comprising a reversible cart-ridge having contact pins movably projected through its ends and a mass of softenable material confined therein, held normally in suspense and soldering the upper pin in fixed position relative to the cartridge, said material being released by the presence of undue external heat and on descending adapted to open the circuit and fix the lower pin relative to the cartridge.

' 4. The combination with an electric circuit, of a protective device included therein and comprising a shell, contact parts carried by the shell for movements relative thereto and to each other, and a mass of softenable material confined within the shell, held normally in suspense and soldering one contact part against movement relative to the shell, said material being released by the presence of undue heat and on descending opening the circuitand securing the other contact part in fixed operative relation to the shell, whereby the device is reversible after each operation.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

WILLIAM G. NAGEL.

Witnessesi O. W. OWEN, HAZEL B. Hum. 

